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[CS6] IDML file doesn't convert correctly

Aug 8, 2012 7:48 PM

Tags: #idml #cs6

Hi All

 

When an IDML file saved from InDesign CS6 is opened in CS5.5 we're getting some funky problems.

 

Pages in a spread are vertically misaligned (one up, one down) — even though all pages in the file are the same size (letter).

Screen-shot-2012-08-09-at-11.01.07-AM.png

 

Also, page items have shifted vertically away from their guides (as though both pages have shifted down behind their page items). and on some pages the page items have also shifted horizontally.

Screen-shot-2012-08-09-at-11.28.24-AM.png

 

The problems are sporadic throughout the document.

 

Any assistance would be greaty appreciated.

 

Thanks

d.

1298 Views   10 Replies   Latest reply: Peter Spier, Aug 9, 2012 5:59 AM
 
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  • Peter Spier
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    1. Peter Spier,
    Aug 9, 2012 2:45 AM   in reply to ScreenNamesUnavailable
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    Might be because the page tool was used on a those pages. What does the .idml file look like when opened in CS6?

     
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  • ScreenNamesUnavailable
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    2. ScreenNamesUnavailable,
    Aug 9, 2012 3:07 AM   in reply to Peter Spier
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    Thanks Peter

     

    I'm sorry, I should have come back earlier to post my findings.

    I ended up copying all the pages into a fresh file and all but one spread (of 124 pages) came through perfectly.

     

    I'm putting it down to the fact that the original file was A4 and went through a layout adjustment to Letter.

    It seems to me that, at some level, InDesign hasn't totally reconciled the fact that this document is now Letter size.

     

    I didn't even think about checking it in CS6 (duh) — but I have now and it looks perfect.

     

    I'd be interested to know Peter — what other problems have you found working with the page tool?

    The page tool is a brilliant feature, but I'd like to know about any pitfalls associated with it.

     

    Thanks for your time

    d.

     
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  • Peter Spier
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    3. Peter Spier,
    Aug 9, 2012 3:58 AM   in reply to ScreenNamesUnavailable
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    The page tool terrifies me.

     

    I can't really answer the question about what can go wrong, but I think it has the potential to mash up a lot of x/y coordinates when things get copied or converted.

     
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  • Bob Levine
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    4. Bob Levine,
    Aug 9, 2012 4:47 AM   in reply to Peter Spier
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    Peter Spier wrote:

     

    The page tool terrifies me.

     

     

    What terrifies me is thinking you can save an InDesign file as IDML and expect the conversion to be trouble free. You need a 5.5 file? Create it in 5.5!

     

    Bob

     
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  • ScreenNamesUnavailable
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    5. ScreenNamesUnavailable,
    Aug 9, 2012 4:59 AM   in reply to Bob Levine
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    Yes Bob. In a perfect world this would definitely be the way to do it.

    But I'm a freelancer working on my laptop in CS6 and my client, who finishes and dispatches the artwork, has CS5.5.

     

    The file began in CS5.5, was worked on in CS6 and needed to go back to CS5.5.

    What terrifies me is that this process ISN'T trouble free when I'm not using any CS6 specific features.

    Nothing I've done to this file cannot be done in CS5.5 — so why does InDesign have a conniption?

     

    d.

     
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  • Bob Levine
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    6. Bob Levine,
    Aug 9, 2012 5:04 AM   in reply to ScreenNamesUnavailable
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    For the same reason that taking Spanish text, putting it into an automatic translation program to get English and then taking the English and translating it back to Spanish. The end result will not look like the original in most cases.

     

    What you're doing is strongly advised against and if you're going to do it anyway these are the types of things you're going to have to live with.

     

    Bob

     
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  • ScreenNamesUnavailable
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    7. ScreenNamesUnavailable,
    Aug 9, 2012 5:17 AM   in reply to Bob Levine
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    Ah, well, it seems I'm pretty ignorant then.

    I've not read this strong advice before.

     

    Thanks Bob.

     

    d.

     
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  • Peter Spier
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    8. Peter Spier,
    Aug 9, 2012 5:39 AM   in reply to ScreenNamesUnavailable
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    We advise against a round-trip workflow here all the time. One of the biggest problems is differences in the text engins between versions tha can cause text reflow and changes to line edings that result in oversets and other unwanted changes. Span/split columns is also a major headache.

     
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  • ScreenNamesUnavailable
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    9. ScreenNamesUnavailable,
    Aug 9, 2012 5:52 AM   in reply to Peter Spier
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    Oh, span/split — now there's something to be terrified of (although, again, that's probably just my ignorance).

     

    Thanks for explaining it to me Peter. Unfortunately I don't think I have much of a choice. I can't afford to fork out for multiple versions of the software.

    I'll just have to try to get as much info as I can about the potential pitfalls to look out for.

     

    Have a good one

     

    d.

     
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  • Peter Spier
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    10. Peter Spier,
    Aug 9, 2012 5:59 AM   in reply to ScreenNamesUnavailable
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    it seems to me that the biggest pitfall is you have no way of seeing what your colleague is seeing, and they can't see waht you intend unless you send a PDF, and they get stuck making all the repairs.

     
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